U.S. patent application number 12/978306 was filed with the patent office on 2011-04-21 for lettuce harvesting for cup-shaped portions of heads.
This patent application is currently assigned to Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc.. Invention is credited to Rafael GARIBAY, Kevin NASH, Leon VENTURA.
Application Number | 20110088364 12/978306 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38481215 |
Filed Date | 2011-04-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110088364 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
NASH; Kevin ; et
al. |
April 21, 2011 |
LETTUCE HARVESTING FOR CUP-SHAPED PORTIONS OF HEADS
Abstract
Lettuce can be commercially harvested by removing the bottom
portion of a head of lettuce to obtain only the top portion of the
head. After the top portion of the head is obtained, a center
section of the top portion of the head is removed to leave a
cup-shaped portion of the head. The bottom portion of the head is
removed and the center section of the top portion is removed in the
field in which the head is harvested.
Inventors: |
NASH; Kevin; (Salinas,
CA) ; VENTURA; Leon; (Watsonville, CA) ;
GARIBAY; Rafael; (Seaside, CA) |
Assignee: |
Dole Fresh Vegetables, Inc.
Salinas
CA
|
Family ID: |
38481215 |
Appl. No.: |
12/978306 |
Filed: |
December 23, 2010 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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11376513 |
Mar 14, 2006 |
7861415 |
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12978306 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
56/327.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A01D 45/263
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
56/327.1 |
International
Class: |
A01D 45/26 20060101
A01D045/26 |
Claims
1. A method of commercially harvesting lettuce in a field, the
lettuce having a head, a stem, and roots extending from the stem
when the lettuce is growing in the field, wherein the head has a
core with inner leaves extending from the core, wherein the head
has a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein the bottom portion
is attached to the stem when the lettuce is growing in the field,
and wherein the bottom portion includes all of the core, the method
comprising: a) removing the bottom portion of the head of lettuce
to obtain only the top portion of the head; and b) after performing
step a), removing a center section of the top portion of the head
to leave a cup-shaped portion of the head, wherein steps a) and b)
are performed in the field in which the head was harvested.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein step a) comprises: cutting the
stem to harvest the head from the ground; after cutting the stem,
cutting away the top portion of the head from the bottom portion of
the head to obtain only the top portion of the head.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein step a) comprises: while the
lettuce is in the ground, cutting away the top portion of the head
from the bottom portion of the head to leave the bottom portion
attached to the stem in the ground to obtain only the top portion
of the head.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the head of lettuce has a
mid-line defined by the widest portion of the head with the stem
oriented downward.
5. (canceled)
6. (canceled)
7. The method of claim 4, wherein the head is cut below the
mid-line to obtain the top portion of the head in step a).
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the top portion of the head
obtained in step a) is about 30 to 40 percent by weight of the
head.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the top portion includes only
portions of inner leaves.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein step b) is performing using a
cleaning tab.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the cleaning tab is disposed on
a harvesting knife having a blade with a cutting edge and a heel,
wherein the cleaning tab is disposed on the heel and extends from
the cutting edge of the blade.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the cleaning tab extends
generally at a right angle from the cutting edge of the blade.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein step a) is performed using the
cutting edge of the blade, and wherein steps a) and b) are
performed using the harvesting knife without changing a user's grip
on the handle of the harvesting knife.
14. The method of claim 1, further comprising: after b), rinsing
cut sites on the cup-shaped portion using a rinsing solution.
15. The method of claim 1, further comprising: packing a plurality
of cup-shaped portions into a carton, wherein the cup-shaped
portions have a concave portion and a convex portion, wherein the
plurality of cup-shaped portions are packed in a plurality of
stacks in the carton, and wherein each stack comprises two or more
cup-shaped portions stacked with concave portions stacked on top of
convex portions.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the carton includes eight
stacks of cup-shaped portions arranged in two rows, and wherein
each stack includes four cup-shaped portions.
17. The method of claim 15, further comprising: stacking a
plurality of cartons on a pallet; vacuum cooling the cartons on the
pallet; and shipping the pallet with the stacks of cartons to
destination markets.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the pallet includes nine layers
of cartons with six cartons in each layer.
19. A method of commercially harvesting lettuce, the lettuce having
a head, a core, a stem, and roots, wherein the stem connects the
head to the roots when the lettuce is growing in the ground,
wherein the head has a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein
the bottom portion is connected to the stem, and wherein the bottom
portion includes all of the core, the method comprising: a) while
the lettuce is in the ground, cutting away the bottom portion of
the head to leave the bottom portion attached to the stem in the
ground; b) retaining the top portion of the head; and c) removing a
center section from the top portion of the head to leave a
cup-shaped portion of the head, wherein steps a)-c) are performed
in the field.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the head before having the
bottom portion cut away in step a) has a mid-line defined by the
widest portion of the head with the stem oriented downward.
21. (canceled)
22. (canceled)
23. The method of claim 20, wherein the head is cut below the
mid-line to cut away the bottom portion in step a).
24. The method of claim 20, wherein the top portion retained in
step b) is about 30 to 40 percent by weight of the head.
25. The method of claim 19, wherein the top portion includes only
portions of inner leaves.
26. The method of claim 19, wherein steps a) and c) are performed
using a harvesting knife having a blade with a cutting edge and a
heel, a handle, and a cleaning tab disposed on the heel and
extending from the cutting edge of the blade, wherein step a) is
performed using the cutting edge of the blade, and wherein step c)
is performed using the cleaning tab.
27. The method of claim 26, wherein steps a) and c) are performing
using the harvesting knife without changing a user's grip on the
handle of the harvesting knife.
28. The method of claim 19, further comprising: after c), rinsing
cut sites on the cup-shaped portion using a rinsing solution.
29. The method of claim 19, further comprising: packing a plurality
of cup-shaped portions into a carton, wherein the cup-shaped
portions have a concave portion and a convex portion, wherein the
plurality of cup-shaped portions are packed into a plurality of
stacks in the carton, and wherein each stack comprises two or more
cup-shaped portions stacked with concave portions stacked on top of
convex portions.
30-41. (canceled)
42. The method of claim 1, wherein the lettuce is iceberg
lettuce.
43. The method of claim 1, wherein the lettuce is iceberg
lettuce.
44. A method of commercially harvesting lettuce in a field, the
lettuce having a head, a stem, and roots extending from the stem
when the lettuce is growing in the field, wherein the head has a
core with inner leaves extending from the core, wherein the head
has a top portion and a bottom portion, wherein the head of lettuce
has a mid-line defined by the widest portion of the head with the
stem oriented downward, wherein the bottom portion is attached to
the stem when the lettuce is growing in the field, and wherein the
bottom portion includes all of the core, the method comprising: a)
cutting the head below the mid-line to remove the bottom portion of
the head of lettuce to obtain only the top portion of the head; and
b) after performing step a), removing a center section of the top
portion of the head to leave a cup-shaped portion of the head,
wherein steps a) and b) are performed in the field in which the
head was harvested.
45. The method of claim 44, further comprises: before a), cutting
the stem to harvest the head from the ground.
46. The method of claim 44, wherein, in step a), the head is cut
below the mid-line while the lettuce is in the ground to leave the
bottom portion attached to the stem in the ground.
47. The method of claim 44, wherein the top portion of the head
obtained in step a) is about 30 to 40 percent by weight of the
head.
48. The method of claim 44, wherein the top portion includes only
portions of inner leaves.
49. The method of claim 44, further comprising: after b), packing a
plurality of cup-shaped portions into a carton, wherein the
cup-shaped portions have a concave portion and a convex portion,
wherein the plurality of cup-shaped portions are packed in a
plurality of stacks in the carton, and wherein each stack comprises
two or more cup-shaped portions stacked with concave portions
stacked on top of convex portions.
50. The method of claim 49, further comprising: stacking a
plurality of cartons on a pallet; vacuum cooling the cartons on the
pallet; and shipping the pallet with the stacks of cartons to
destination markets.
51. The method of claim 50, wherein the carton includes eight
stacks of cup-shaped portions arranged in two rows, and wherein
each stack includes four cup-shaped portions, and wherein the
pallet includes nine layers of cartons with six cartons in each
layer.
52. The method of claims 44, wherein the lettuce is iceberg
lettuce.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application is a Continuation application of
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/376,513, filed Mar. 14, 2006,
which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Field
[0003] The present application relates to commercial lettuce
harvesting, and, more particularly, to commercial lettuce
harvesting for cup-shaped portions of heads.
[0004] 2. Related Art
[0005] The commercial lettuce industry is a multi-billion dollar
industry. Lettuce is produced and shipped year round in the U.S.
with the source of supplies changing with the seasons, with
California and Arizona dominating U.S. production.
[0006] Three types of lettuce dominate commercial production:
iceberg, leaf lettuce, and romaine lettuce. Of these three types,
iceberg lettuce makes up the majority of the commercial lettuce
production in the U.S.
[0007] Lettuce is commercially planted as seeds or seedlings in
rows in a field. Because lettuce heads tend to be somewhat
irregular and delicate, commercial harvesting of lettuce is a
manual process.
[0008] In conventional commercial lettuce harvesting, teams of
field workers harvest lettuce in the field by hand. In particular,
field workers referred to as cutters manually cut the stems of the
lettuce using hand held harvesting knives. Field workers referred
to as packers then pack the harvested whole heads into cardboard
boxes, which are more commonly referred to as cartons. The cartons
of whole heads are then placed on pallets, vacuum cooled, and then
shipped to destination markets, where they are ultimately shipped
to end users.
[0009] Certain end users, such as restaurants, may use only a
portion of a whole head. This can result in various types of waste
and costs associated with having shipped the whole heads to the end
user. For example, there is waste disposal cost to the end user
associated with the unused portions of the whole heads. There is
the cost associated with shipping the whole heads to the end user,
which included the cost of shipping the unused portion of the whole
heads. Additionally, the end user incurs labor costs associated
with processing of the whole heads. For an end user that uses a
large volume of lettuce, such as a restaurant, the amount of waste
and costs can be substantial.
SUMMARY
[0010] In one exemplary embodiment, lettuce can be commercially
harvested by removing the bottom portion of a head of lettuce to
obtain only the top portion of the head. After the top portion of
the head is obtained, a center section of the top portion of the
head is removed to leave a cup-shaped portion of the head. The
bottom portion of the head and the center section of the top
portion are removed in the field in which the head is
harvested.
[0011] In one exemplary embodiment, the bottom portion of the head
can be removed by cutting the stem of the lettuce to harvest the
head from the ground. After the head has been harvested from the
ground, the bottom portion of the harvested head can then be cut
away to obtain only the top portion of the head. In another
exemplary embodiment, the bottom portion of the head can be removed
by cutting away the bottom portion of the head while the lettuce is
in the ground to leave the bottom portion attached to the stem in
the ground to obtain only the top portion of the head.
DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES
[0012] The present application can be best understood by reference
to the following description taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawing figures, in which like parts may be referred
to by like numerals:
[0013] FIG. 1 depicts rows of mature lettuce ready to be
harvested;
[0014] FIG. 2 depicts a single lettuce in the ground;
[0015] FIG. 3 depicts whole heads of lettuce packed into a
carton;
[0016] FIG. 4 depicts a head of lettuce;
[0017] FIG. 5 depicts a cutter harvesting a head of lettuce by
cutting away a bottom portion of the head;
[0018] FIG. 6 depicts the bottom portion of a head of lettuce left
attached to the stem in the ground;
[0019] FIG. 7 depicts bottom portions of heads of lettuce left
attached to stems in the ground;
[0020] FIG. 8-A depicts a center section within a portion of a cut
head of lettuce;
[0021] FIG. 8-B depicts the portion of the cut head of lettuce with
the center section removed;
[0022] FIG. 9 depicts two cup-shaped portions of two top portions
of two heads of lettuce;
[0023] FIGS. 10-A and 10-B depict a harvesting knife with a
cleaning tab;
[0024] FIG. 11-A depicts a cutter harvesting a head of lettuce;
[0025] FIG. 11-B depicts a cutter removing a center section of a
top portion of a head of lettuce;
[0026] FIG. 11-C depicts a packer spraying rinsing solution on cut
sites on a cup-shaped portion of a head of lettuce;
[0027] FIG. 11-D depicts cup-shaped portions of heads of lettuce
packed in a carton;
[0028] FIG. 12 depicts the harvesting knife of FIGS. 10-A and 10-B
being used to remove a center section;
[0029] FIG. 13 depicts cup-shaped portions of lettuce heads packed
into a carton;
[0030] FIG. 14 depicts the dimensions of an exemplary carton;
[0031] FIG. 15 depicts a top view of a carton packed with
cup-shaped portions of lettuce heads;
[0032] FIG. 16 depicts a pallet stacked with cartons of packed
cup-shaped portions of lettuce heads; and
[0033] FIG. 17 depicts an exemplary use of a cup-shaped
portion.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0034] The following description sets forth numerous specific
configurations, parameters, and the like. It should be recognized,
however, that such description is not intended as a limitation on
the scope of the present invention, but is instead provided as a
description of exemplary embodiments.
[0035] The following description relates primarily to the
commercial harvesting of iceberg lettuce, which is also commonly
referred to as crisphead or head lettuce. As mentioned above, the
market for iceberg lettuce accounts for the majority of the lettuce
market in the US. It should be recognized, however, that the
following description is also relevant to the harvesting and
processing of various types of lettuce and produce.
[0036] Iceberg lettuce is commercially planted as seeds or
seedlings in rows in a field. Typically, it takes about 65 to 90
days for iceberg lettuce to grow to a size ready to be harvested,
approximately 2 pounds in weight. FIG. 1 depicts rows of iceberg
lettuce ready for harvesting.
[0037] FIG. 2 depicts a single iceberg lettuce 202 in the ground
that is ready for harvesting. As depicted in FIG. 2, iceberg
lettuce 202 includes a head 204, a stem 206, roots 208, and outer
leaves 210. Head 204 includes inner leaves 212 extending from a
core 214.
[0038] As described above, iceberg lettuce is typically harvested
manually. Field workers work in teams to harvest iceberg lettuce in
the field. In particular, in a conventional harvesting process, a
field worker (referred to as a cutter) cuts some of the outer
leaves 210, which are left on the ground. These outer leaves 210
are typically referred to as a blanket. The cutter then uses a
harvesting knife to cut the stem. A remnant amount of the stem
remains with the harvested head. The harvested head 204 is placed
on the blanket to keep it from getting dirty. Heads 204 are
typically placed with the portion having the remnant amount of the
stem pointing up to reduce the amount of natural juices exuding
from the cut site.
[0039] Another field worker (referred to as packer) packs the cut
heads 204 into a cardboard box, which is more commonly referred to
as a carton. With reference to FIG. 3, in a conventional harvesting
process, heads 204 are packed in two layers in a single carton 302
(a bottom row 304 and a top row 306). As depicted in FIG. 3, the
heads 204 packed in the bottom layer 304 are placed with the stem
remnants pointed down toward the bottom of the carton. The heads
204 packed in the top layer 306 are placed with the stem remnants
pointed up toward the top of carton 302. Typically, 12 heads 204
are packed into two rows in each layer for a total of 24 heads per
carton.
[0040] In a conventional harvesting process, 40 cartons 302 are
stacked onto a single pallet with eight layers of five cartons 302
in each layer. Each cardboard box 302 typically weighs about 52
pounds. Thus, each pallet typically holds 960 whole heads weighing
a total of about 2080 pounds. Cartons 302 on the pallet are vacuum
cooled then shipped to destination markets, where they are
ultimately shipped to end users.
[0041] With reference to FIG. 4, in one exemplary embodiment,
lettuce is commercially processed by removing a bottom portion 402
of head 204 to obtain only a top portion 404 of head 204. In one
exemplary embodiment, head 204 is cut such that bottom portion 402
has the entire core of head 204. Bottom portion 402 is discarded
and top portion 404 is retained. In the present context, the term
"portion" is not intended to necessarily refer to halves. Thus, top
portion 404 is not necessarily one-half of head 204.
[0042] As also depicted in FIG. 4, head 204 has a mid-line 406
defined by the widest portion of head 204 with the stem oriented
down. In one exemplary embodiment, head 204 is cut at about
mid-line 406 to cut away bottom portion 402 and obtain top portion
404. Note that in this embodiment, bottom portion 402 is about half
of head 204. In another exemplary embodiment, head 204 is cut above
mid-line 406 to cut away bottom portion 402 to obtain top portion
404. Note that in this embodiment, bottom portion 402 is more than
half of head 204. In still another exemplary embodiment, head 204
is cut below mid-line 406 to cut away bottom portion 402 and obtain
top portion 404. Note that in this embodiment, bottom portion 402
is less than half of head 204. Top portion 404 that remains after
cutting away bottom portion 402 can range between about 30 to 40
percent by weight of head 204.
[0043] In one exemplary embodiment, bottom portion 402 is removed
and top portion 404 is obtained by first cutting the stem of the
lettuce to harvest head 204 from the ground. After head 204 has
been harvested from the ground, head 204 is cut longitudinally in
the field to cut away bottom portion 402 and obtain only top
portion 404 of head 204. In the present context, the phrase "cut
longitudinally" means that if head 204 is held with the stem
portion pointed directly down, then the cut is made horizontally.
It should be recognized, however, that the cut need not be
precisely horizontal or even within a few degrees of being
horizontal, merely that it is more horizontal than vertical.
[0044] It should be recognized that any number of cuts can be made
to obtain the desired amount of top portion 404 of head 204. For
example, a small portion of bottom portion 402 can be initially cut
away. Any number of subsequent cuts can then be made to remove the
desired amount of bottom portion 402 and leave the desired amount
of top portion 404 of head 204.
[0045] In another exemplary embodiment, bottom portion 402 of head
204 is removed by cutting away bottom portion 402 while head 204 is
attached to the stem in the ground. The remaining top portion 404
is retained while bottom portion 402 is left in the ground along
with the stem and roots.
[0046] In particular, with reference to FIG. 5, a field worker is
depicted cutting the bottom portion of a head while the head is
attached to the stem in the ground. FIG. 6 depicts the bottom
portion of the head left in the ground. The top portion of the head
is retained. FIG. 7 depicts rows of bottom portions of heads left
in the ground after harvesting.
[0047] It should be recognized that any number of cuts can be made
to obtain the desired amount of the top portion of the head. For
example, a small portion of the bottom portion can be initially cut
while the head is attached to the stem in the ground. Any number of
subsequent cuts can then be made to remove the desired amount of
the bottom portion and leave the desired amount of the top portion
of the head.
[0048] With reference to FIG. 8-A, after only top portion 404 of a
head is obtained, a center section 802 of leaves is removed from
top portion 404. After center section 802 has been removed, as
depicted in FIG. 8-B, a cup-shaped portion 804 of the top portion
remains. FIG. 9 depicts two cup-shaped portions 804 of two top
portions with the center sections removed from the two top
portions. FIGS. 8-B and 9 depict the appearance of cup-shaped
portions 804 of heads with about half of the bottom portions of the
heads having been cut away. It should be recognized, however, that
the particular shape of cup-shaped portions 804 can vary depending
on the amount of the bottom portions of the heads that has been cut
away.
[0049] With reference now to FIGS. 10-A and 10-B, in one exemplary
embodiment, the top portion of a head is processed using a cleaning
tab 1004. In the present exemplary embodiment, cleaning tab 1004 is
depicted as being disposed on a harvesting knife 1002. In
particular, as depicted in FIGS. 10-A and 10-B, cleaning tab 1004
is disposed at the heel of the blade near the handle of harvesting
knife 1002, and extends from the cutting edge of the blade. It
should be recognized, however, that cleaning tab 1004 can be
attached to various other types of harvesting tools or attached on
its own to a handle.
[0050] In one exemplary embodiment, harvesting knife 1002 is about
seven inches in length, and cleaning tab 1004 is about three inches
long and about one inch in width. It should be recognized, however,
that the specific dimensions and shapes of harvesting knife 1002
and cleaning tab 1004 can vary. Additionally, cleaning tab 1004 can
be attached to the blade, such as by being welded on, or the blade
and cleaning tab 1004 can be formed as a unitary piece.
[0051] As depicted in FIG. 11-A, the cutting edge of the blade of
harvesting knife 1002 (FIG. 10-A) is used to harvest a head.
Harvesting knife 1002 (FIG. 10-A) can be used to harvest the head
by cutting the stem of the head and then cutting away the bottom
portion of the head. Alternatively, harvesting knife 1002 (FIG.
10-A) can be used to harvest the heady by cutting the head to leave
the bottom portion of the head in the ground.
[0052] As depicted in FIG. 11-B, after obtaining the top portion of
a harvest head, the cleaning tab is used to remove the center
section from the top portion. In particular, as depicted in FIG.
12, cleaning tab 1004 is inserted into center section 802, and then
center section 802 is pried out. Thus, in this manner, center
section 802 can be removed without the cutter having to touch
center section 802 with his/her hands. Additionally, the cutter
does not need to put harvesting knife 1002 down to pick up another
tool to remove center section 802. Indeed, the cutter need not
change his/her grip on the handle between cutting the head with the
cutting edge of the blade and removing center section 802 with
cleaning tab 1004.
[0053] As depicted in FIG. 11-C, after the center section has been
removed, the cut surfaces are sprayed with a rinsing solution, such
as chlorinated rinse water solution, to prevent discoloration. It
should be recognized, however, that various rinsing solutions may
be used. Additionally, the step of spraying the cut surfaces may be
omitted.
[0054] With reference now to FIG. 11-D, cup-shaped portions 804 are
packed in a carton 1302. In one exemplary embodiment, two or more
cup-shaped portions 804 are stacked together into carton 1302. In
particular, as depicted in FIG. 13, a cup-shaped portion 804 has a
concave portion 1304 and a convex portion 1306. The concave
portions 1304 stack on the convex portions 1306. Thus, as depicted
in FIG. 13, the cup shape of cup-shaped portions 804 has the
advantage of providing for tighter packing of cup-shaped portions
804 than a whole head. In one exemplary embodiment, four cup-shaped
portions 804 are stacked together in a single stack. Thus, four
layers of cup-shaped portions 804 are stacked together with eight
cup-shaped portions in each layer. Thus, a total of 32 cup-shaped
portions 804 are packed in each carton 1302.
[0055] With reference to FIG. 14, exemplary dimensions of carton
1302 are depicted. In particular FIG. 14 depicts carton 1302 in its
unassembled form. Carton 1302 has an overall width of 71.08 inches.
Carton 1302 includes a first long side wall 1402, a first short
side wall 1404, a second long side wall 1406 and a second short
side wall 1408 that are 23.06 inches, 11.09 inches, 23.07 inches,
and 11.06 inches in width, respectively. As depicted in FIG. 14,
first long side wall 1402 includes a tab edge 1410 that is 1.10
inches wide, which is used to attach first long side wall 1402 to
second short side wall 1408 when carton 1302 is assembled. As also
depicted in 14, carton 1302 has an overall height of 21.03 inches.
Carton 1402 includes top flaps 1412 and bottom flaps 1414 that are
5.13 inches and 5.13 inches in height. As depicted in FIG. 14, side
walls 1402, 1404, 1406, and 1408 are 9.09 inches in height. It
should be recognized that these dimensions are exemplary.
[0056] With reference to FIG. 15, in one exemplary embodiment,
carton 1302 is lined with a plastic film 1502. Thus, after the
cup-shaped portions 804 have been packed into carton 1302, plastic
film 1502 is folded over the cup-shaped portions 804. Carton 1302
is then closed and taped or stapled. It should be recognized that
plastic film 1502 can be omitted in some circumstances.
Additionally, carton 1302 can be closed and sealed in any number of
manners.
[0057] With reference to FIG. 16, 54 cartons 1302 are stacked onto
a single pallet 1602 with nine layers of six cartons 1302 in each
layer. Each carton 1302 typically weighs about 22 pounds. Thus,
each pallet 1602 typically holds 1728 cup-shaped portions weighing
a total of about 1188 pounds. Cartons 1302 on pallet 1602 are then
vacuum cooled then shipped to destination markets, where they are
ultimately shipped to end users.
[0058] Note that a pallet of cartons 1302 holds a total of 1728
cup-shaped portions. In comparison, a pallet of cartons 302 (FIG.
3) holds a total of 960 whole heads. Thus, a pallet of cartons 1302
reduces freight and handling costs by almost 45 percent over a
pallet of cartons 302 (FIG. 3).
[0059] Additionally, waste disposal costs by end users are reduced
because what would have been waste (the core, stem and leaves) are
left in the field. Carton disposal costs are reduced because of the
reduction in the number of cartons needed to ship a desired
quantity of cup-shaped portions. The increase in number of products
per carton (32 cup-shaped portions vs. 24 whole heads per carton)
produces a reduction in hauling and handling costs. The reduction
in weight per carton also allows for additional cartons per pallet
with less gross weight per pallet and more usable net weight per
pallet. There is also a reduction in storage space needed by an end
user due to increased number of usable products per carton and
reduction of cube and weight per carton. There is also a reduction
in labor costs by end users because of reduction in coring and
trimming needed at the destination.
[0060] In one exemplary use of the present cup-shaped portions, one
or more boxes 1302 of cup-shaped portions are shipped to a
restaurant. Cup-shaped portions are used to serve "lettuce wraps"
in Chinese cuisine. In particular, as depicted in FIG. 17,
individual leaves are peeled from a cup-shaped portion and filled
with a filling.
[0061] The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments have been
presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are
not intended to be exhaustive, and it should be understood that
many modifications and variations are possible in light of the
above teaching.
* * * * *